


An Arduous Search for Nothing

by xAoneko



Category: Aion (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Consequence of War, Gen, buckle up bitches it's gonna be a wild ride, genetic manipulation, lots of deaths, not all OCs are mine, proceed with caution?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-22 09:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xAoneko/pseuds/xAoneko
Summary: Rookie Daeva Milotia has had a relatively easy Ascension, where her biggest concern is the Krall, but when the Daevas around her become twisted, she realizes that something has been lurking in the shadows of Atreia for a long time.





	1. The Sufferers Gather Amidst the Green I

The desert sun really was no joke.

She had started sweating the moment her feet touched the ground at Novan’s Crossing. In the time it took for her to jog from the outpost to the Kaidan Mine, the back of her tunic became thoroughly drenched. Even now, as she knelt in the shadow of an outcrop, she could feel sweat beading along her hairline and trickling down her face.

However, she supposed it could be worse as she glanced at her friend Aerys, who was sweating just as much as she was as he crouched beside her. At least she wasn’t suffering alone in this spying mission, and the sooner they finished, the better.

The heap of odium was easy to spot, a patch of green in stark contrast against the background of brown. She hissed between her teeth at the size of the odium stock, and as she looked on, a Mamaki Kobold wheeled over a cartful of the mineral and dumped it onto the larger mound. A second one followed suit, then another and another. The trail of Kobolds led from the odium stock to a large wagon parked in the middle of the mine. More Kobolds were stationed around the wagon, moving the odium inside to smaller carts for others to add to the growing pile.

She made one brief and final scan of the mine for more odium but saw none. Aerys had also seen enough, so the two of them crept out of their hiding spot and climbed down the slope of the outcrop, making sure that they wouldn't be seen by the guard at the entrance to the mine. They waited until they were safely in the Outpost Ruins before either of them uttered a word.

“That was a lot of odium,” Aerys said, “The rumors only said that the Kaidan started gathering odium, but it looks like they have been hoarding it for a while now.”

“The Kaidan didn’t use to have any odium. Where do you think they’re getting it from?”

Aerys slowed his pace and cast a cautionary glance behind them. “Anywhere, really.” Upon seeing nothing suspicious, he quickened his steps to catch up to her. “The Balaur, the Lepharists, maybe they have another mine somewhere else and they’re shipping everything here. General Telemachus will probably want to find the source.”

They passed through Novan’s Crossing and breathed audible sighs of relief as the trees of the Manduri Forest shielded them from the harsh rays of the sun.

“Let’s hurry back and make the report,” she suggested, breaking into a light jog.

“Yeah.”

The Manduri of the Manduri Village pressed their faces up against the wooden fence as the two Daevas passed, chittering and howling in a cacophony of noise. She grimaced and covered her ears with her hands, although that did little to stifle the shrieking. “They’re so loud,” she muttered. Aerys said something back, but his voice was buried beneath the shriller ones of the monkey-like creatures. At times like these, Milotia couldn’t help but long for flight transportation, but she also needed to save kinah for her family in Verteron. Aerys refused to leave her alone to handle the Manduri, so they dealt with the boisterous primates together.

The sound of the Manduri faded as she and Aerys continued to follow the dirt path. As the ground changed from cracked earth to cobblestones, they came upon a patrol of three Elyos, whom they exchanged brief greetings with before continuing on their way.

Eltnen Fortress, a fort carved into the surface of a stone structure, stood tall at the bottom of a hill. Sheer cliffs rose up around it on three sides, caging the fortress in a pit. Streams of water cascaded from the clifftops and pooled together at the base of the fortress in a crescent lake, and trees stretched their branches over the top of the stronghold, casting dancing shadows on the sturdy stone walls whenever a breeze should happen to pass by. A bridge protruded from the entrance and connected the large boulder to two smaller floating boulders in a cross. Six hoops surrounded the main structure, and a blue stream of aether connected them in a winding path for Daevas to practice flight.

She and Aerys unfurled their wings at the same time, kicking up a gust of wind that cooled them down after the sweltering heat of the desert. A downwards sweep of the wings carried them off the ground and into the air, and the feathered appendages continued to beat with a steady rhythm to lift them higher until they hovered over the bridge. Aerys dispelled his wings and dropped onto the deck first, then moved out of the way so she could land. She mimicked him, and they headed inside to meet with General Telemachus.

“Arieluma,” a centurion greeted as they passed each other. She and Aerys returned the greeting as they made their way up the stairway that led to the second-floor balcony. From there, they climbed another set of short, curving steps before arriving in front of a tall doorway occupied by two guards in silver armor.

The room beyond the threshold stood as the tallest and longest room in the fortress. Windows of painted glass stretched several feet high on the walls. A red carpet had been laid down on the floor, leading from the entrance all the way to the back of the room until it reached the foot of a plain throne. The general sat upon the throne, reading something from a scroll, but he looked up when the centurion beside him murmured something in his ear.

“Assassin Aerys and Songweaver Milotia,” he said, “Welcome back. What have you found?”

General Telemachus had Ascended young, and his appearance was the most vernal of the three generals stationed throughout Elysea. Despite his looks, his battle prowess could compare to those of his seniors. As a result, he was promoted early and stationed in Eltnen, where desertification and the Krall continue to be constant headaches for the Seraphim Lords.

The pair of guards in the doorway acknowledged them with nods as she and Aerys stepped into the room. The two of them approached the throne and stopped a few feet before the youthful general, bowing their heads and crossing their right arms over their chest in identical salutations. Aerys responded to General Telemachus’ inquiries, “The rumors are true, sir. The Kaidan and the Mamaki at the mine have begun amassing odium.”

“How much have they managed to gather?” the general questioned.

Milotia raised her head. “Enough to fill an area as big as Agairon Village. We suspect that they have outside assistance, possibly from their headquarters, or the Krall in Heiron, or even the Lepharists.”

“I see.” General Telemachus leaned forward, resting his chin in one hand and furrowing his eyebrows in thought. Milotia and Aerys stayed quiet, waiting for their superior to make a decision.

“How many leaders did the Kaidan have?” The general suddenly asked.

Milotia tried to remember, but to her embarrassment, she hadn’t paid close attention to locating the leaders at the mine. All of her focus had gone into sizing up the odium reserve. “Apologies, I was not careful enough to take note of their leaders,” she admitted, bowing her head again to hide her shame.

“They had five leaders,” Aerys answered. Milotia breathed a silent sigh of relief. Aion bless the assassins and their keen eyes; Aerys would always be around to make sure she didn’t lose too much face.

“Are you certain?”

Aerys nodded. “With the Krall, only leaders have tents, and I counted five of them.”

“I see.” The general leaned back. “I will assemble a team to handle this matter. You two will be part of it, so remain on standby for now.”

“Understood,” they replied in unison.

“Here is your pay for the reconnaissance.” General Telemachus waved a hand, and one of the centurions stepped forward with two bags of kinah, handing them to the pair of Daevas. “You are dismissed. Thank you for your hard work.” With that said, the general turned to one of his centurions and began to converse about other matters. Milotia and Aerys bowed once more and retreated from the room. The pair of guards in the doorway saw them off with another nod.

Milotia waited until they were out of earshot before voicing her complaint. “I can’t believe we’ll have to go back out there in that heat.”

“It’s just one more time,” Aerys laughed as he fanned his face to cool down faster.

“One time too many,” she mumbled.

They headed back downstairs, and Aerys gestured outside. “I’m going to relax for a bit by the water. You coming?”

Splashing some water on her face after facing the desert heat sounded like a great idea, so she followed Aerys back out onto the bridge. They jumped off, one after the other, and spread their wings once more. The refreshing air rushed past their faces, ruffling their hair as they glided over the water. Milotia glanced down at her reflection and dipped her fingers into the liquid, smiling at the cooling sensation that greeted her skin.

Milotia swerved to the side and flapped her wings a few times, landing on a dirt patch near the edge of the water. There was a flat stone sitting in the water, and she did not hesitate to hop on and kneel. She cupped her hands, scooped up some water, and splashed it onto her face. A deep sigh escaped her as she basked in the feeling of relief, and she wet her hands again to wipe at her neck.

When she was done, she stood and looked around for Aerys. The assassin was crouched on the lake’s edge with his hands submerged in the water. His gloves lay on the grass beside him. Milotia jumped off the rock and sauntered to his side, drying off her hands on her tunic.

“Let’s get dinner after this,” Aerys said as she sat down, “I’m craving some crestlich soup.”

“Sure,” she agreed as she weighed her kinah pouch in her hand. There should be enough kinah to support her aging parents for a while. If she held off on using flight transportation for another week, then she should be able to save up even more.

Once Aerys had finished soaking his hands, the two of them flew back up to the fortress. Instead of heading to the main structure, they made their way to one of the smaller boulders attached to the end of the bridge. The smell of food greeted their nostrils as they neared the doorway, and Milotia’s stomach let out a quiet growl.

The cook glanced up from a pot and smiled at Milotia and Aerys as they walked in. “Hello, you two!” she called, “Mission go well?”

“Yes, but it was so hot out there,” Milotia said as she approached the counter.

“Would you like a glass of ice water then?” the cook asked.

“Some ice water would be great,” Milotia answered while Aerys nodded, “But only a little ice, please.”

“Sure.” The cook grabbed two cups and rummaged through the utensils scattered across the counter. After searching for a few seconds, she picked out a wooden box the size of a person’s fist and popped it open. There was a rattling sound as the cook tapped a few ice cubes into each glass.

In Elysea, where the climate is warm all year round, it was difficult to freeze things for preservation or even have cold drinks, so sorcerers had charmed boxes with ice magic to give them the ability to keep their interiors at low temperatures. These freezers were especially useful in Eltnen, where the sweltering desert heat made people crave cold refreshments all day long.

The cook filled the cups with water and handed them to the two Daevas. “Can I help you with anything else?”

Milotia took a sip of her drink. “Could I also get the roasted basilisk with a side of bread and steamed ruta?”

“Of course.” The cook turned to Aerys. “And you?”

“Crestlich and rubashi soup, please.”

With their orders placed, the two of them sat down at a table to wait. It didn’t take long for the cook to prepare the food, and she carried the dishes to them on a wooden tray, placing the bowl of soup in front of Aerys and the plate of basilisk meat before Milotia. Then, she laid out utensils for them and retreated to the kitchen after bidding them to enjoy the meal.

Feeling her stomach rumble again, Milotia picked up the fork and stabbed it into a slice of basilisk, stuffing the piece of meat into her mouth and chewing vigorously. The basilisk belly meat oozed fatty oil as she bit into it, filling her mouth with the savory taste of roasted flesh. She took a bite out of the slice of bread and crunched on the steamed vegetables that had been laid out on the side.

With her hunger quieted, Milotia let her attention wander around the room. Most other patrons were keeping to themselves, talking in low voices or eating without a word. However, the table next to her caught her eye. One of the Daevas seated there was gesturing with her hand as she spoke to the person sitting across from her. Judging by the polearm leaning against the table, Milotia guessed that the Daeva was a gladiator and picked up on the conversation.

“It’s a really cursed place, I’m telling you,” the gladiator said, taking a long sip from her mug.

“Why is that?” Her companion – a ranger, judging by the bow slung across her shoulder – asked, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on the edge of the table.

“There’s undead everywhere. At least half of Heiron is swarming with them, all thanks to that Krall invasion we had a long while back.” The gladiator gulped down another mouthful of her drink. “Speaking of which, there was a second invasion just a few years ago. Those filthy beasts really don’t know when to stop.”

“Oh, I think I heard about that!” The ranger nodded. “Were you there when it happened?”

“Nah, I was in Verteron when it happened, but I spoke to a Daeva who was there. He said it was shit, even after a prestigious sorcerer arrived to help, and the thing is, he also said that that sorcerer died in the battle and never resurrected at an obelisk.”

Milotia stopped chewing and exchanged looks with Aerys, who had paused with his spoon in his mouth. Despite their immortality and their ability to bind to and use obelisks for resurrection, Daevas still faced the threat of Vanishing. As far as she knew, the two main reasons a Daeva would Vanish would be because they died too far away from their obelisk or because the bond between their soul and the obelisk became too weak. However, this occurrence was rare in Elysea, and most Vanishings happened to Daevas who were stationed in Balaurea, so to hear that someone had Vanished out in Heiron was unusual enough for Milotia to jump into the conversation herself.

“Ah, excuse me?”

The gladiator and the ranger started and turned to stare at her with wide eyes. Milotia smiled and clapped her hands together in apology. “Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, but you said that a Daeva Vanished out in Heiron? Do you know why?”

“Oh, no, I don’t.” The gladiator shook her head. “I’ve heard others say that the sorcerer was most likely out of range of his obelisk though.”

Milotia supposed that was reasonable. After all, it was far more common for a Daeva to move out of range of an obelisk than to forget to reinforce the soul-obelisk connection. She asked another question. “Do you know the sorcerer’s name?”

“It was Odissius Aetherborn,” the gladiator replied.

Upon hearing that name, Milotia couldn’t help but feel that she was familiar with it. She frowned, trying to remember where she had heard of Odissius Aetherborn before, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t recall anything. The gladiator was still waiting for a response, so Milotia thanked her and withdrew from the conversation.

Aerys met Milotia’s inquisitive gaze and shrugged, indicating that he was as clueless as she was. They returned to their meals, and by the time they finished eating, the Vanishing of Odissius Aetherborn was pushed out of their thoughts. The Kaidan Mine was a more pressing matter. Since General Telemachus had told them to remain on standby while he arranged for a raid, Milotia expected to have nothing to do for the next couple of days.

 


	2. The Sufferers Gather Amidst the Green II

As it turned out, General Telemachus put together a group faster than Milotia thought he would. She and Aerys had made their report just that evening, and the next morning, the general had already sent a centurion to summon them to the throne room.

When the two of them arrived, General Telemachus was speaking to three unfamiliar Daevas. He looked past the trio as Milotia and Aerys approached and acknowledged them, “Good. You’re here. Now we can start.”

The strangers turned to face Milotia and Aerys as General Telemachus introduced them. He gestured to the man in the red leather jacket first. “This is Crucian of the Bullet Rain. He’s a deputy from the Crimson legion, and he’ll be leading your group.”

Crucian smiled at them and placed one hand over his chest, saying, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Milotia had heard of this Daeva before. Rumors claimed that Crucian would riddle his enemies’ bodies with holes using his pistols until not even a scrap remained. Others said that if Crucian fired one shot into the air, then a storm of bullets would come cascading down. As she eyed the pair of gleaming pistols strapped to the gunslinger’s waist, Milotia didn’t find the second rumor to be so plausible, but she could definitely believe the first one.

While she had been musing over the red-haired gunslinger, General Telemachus moved on to the blue-haired cleric. “Vyndir the Steadfast, a centurion of the Crimson legion.”

Vyndir bowed his head in greeting, and Milotia and Aerys returned the gesture. Milotia wasn’t surprised to learn that he was here; Vyndir was Crucian’s most trusted legionmate, and the two of them were rarely seen apart.

Her eyes fell on the red scarf tied around Vyndir’s upper arm and then darted back to Crucian, who had an identical scarf wrapped around his neck. _So the Crimson legion’s mark is a red scarf_ , she thought. Every legion had a symbol of some form that members bore on their body. Most of the time, the mark was made of cloth material and was weaved into something simple, like an armband or a glove. Some of the richer legions would even embellish the mark with gemstones.

Taking a closer look at the red scarf, Milotia realized that the Crimson legion wasn’t badly off at all. A thick, golden line was embroidered around the edges of the piece of cloth. Not as wealthy as gems, but not poor in any way.

Unlike the other two, the woman with two daggers strapped to her back did not harbor a hint of red on her body. General Telemachus continued, “And this is Assassin Elysabelle, although she prefers Elysa. She is a mercenary like you two.”

An assassin like Aerys, Milotia noted as they lowered their heads for the third time. Unlike the previous two introductions, Elysa responded with only a curt nod. The female assassin gave off a cold air, and she had an impassive face that looked as though it hadn’t shown a smile in years. If someone felt intimidated by Crucian and Vyndir, then they would be downright scared of Elysa. Milotia shuffled her feet and shifted so that she stood a little closer to Aerys.

If General Telemachus noticed anything, he did not show it. “You two will be accompanying them to the Kaidan Mine,” he ordered, “Get rid of the odium supply, and while you’re there, see if you can eliminate the leaders.”

“Yes, sir,” she and Aerys chanted in unison.

The group of five left the throne room, and Crucian turned to Milotia and Aerys. “General Telemachus told us you two are Songweaver Milotia and Assassin Aerys,” he said.

“Yes, we are,” Milotia confirmed.

The gunslinger’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “Good. I would be worried if you weren’t,” he chuckled and then said more seriously, “Could you brief us on what you saw in the mine yesterday? Specifically locations and number of guards.”

Milotia and Aerys began recounting what they remembered. “The odium is all piled in one corner of the mine, but there was a cart of it a few meters away. There were Kobolds moving the odium from the cart to the bigger mound,” Milotia explained.

“Five tents for the Krall leaders,” Aerys said, “There didn’t seem to be a particular pattern to their placement, but they were all on the opposite side of the mine in relation to the odium.”

“I see.” Crucian nodded as they arrived at the flight transporter. The Daeva in charge of the device smiled at them and wished them luck before sending them off one-by-one.

Milotia made sure to keep her body relaxed as the green bird of aether grasped her in its claws and lifted her into the air. With a mighty sweep of its wings, it carried her off in the direction of Novan’s Crossing. As she soared through the air, she could see Crucian’s red overcoat flapping about his ankles and Elysa’s hair whipping about her shoulders.

The wind stroked Milotia’s face, and she closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy the refreshing feeling before it was abruptly snatched away by the overwhelming heat of the desert when she landed in Novan’s Crossing. She silently mourned the loss of the cool air as Aerys and Vyndir arrived and the five of them began their walk through the Outpost Ruins to the Kaidan Mine.

They avoided the main entrance to the mine, careful to remain out of sight of the lone guard standing at the top of the rise. Instead, Milotia and Aerys led the rest to a narrow path that wound between two large boulders and headed into the mine. They slipped through and hid behind the rocks littering the base of the outcrop. Crucian and Elysa peeked out at the dry field below them, observing the Kaidan Krall and Mamaki Kobolds. Vyndir, Milotia, and Aerys waited for a decision on how to proceed.

Crucian tapped his gloved fingers on the rugged stone as he surveyed the mine. “There are two ways we can do this. We could first eliminate the leaders of the mine, and then destroy the odium, but the leaders’ guards are rather vigilant. They would definitely notice something wrong and raise an alarm, and that would make things difficult for us.”

Milotia squinted at the nearest tent and saw that there were four burly Kaidan standing guard. Sneaking past them would be nearly impossible, even for an assassin or ranger since lifting the flap of the tent would attract the attention of the beasts.

“What about the second way?” Vyndir prompted.

Crucian waved a hand towards the odium stock. “We send the odium up in flames first. It’s a highly flammable substance, so it shouldn’t be difficult, and the commotion will draw the leaders out of their tents, where we can snipe them with minimal problems. Assassin Aerys, I presume you know how to shoot an arrow?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And Songweaver Milotia, you know a tune that can light a fire for us?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Then we’re all set.” The gunslinger stepped back from the edge and turned to the rest of the group. “Miss Milotia, you will be seen if you attack from here, so it would be best if you find a hiding spot above the reserve.” He gestured to the rocky wall behind the odium pile, where jagged boulders provided more than enough shelter.

“Vyndir.” The cleric perked up at Crucian’s call. “You will go with her just in case something goes wrong and you need to make a run for it.”

“Okay.” Vyndir and Milotia exchanged polite nods as Crucian then turned to Elysa and Aerys.

“The three of us will be eliminating the leaders,” he said and pointed out into the distance, “Those two tents are close together, so one of us could take those two. Elysa?”

“Yeah, I’ll handle it,” she confirmed, “You want me to send a signal when I’m ready?”

“That would be appreciated, yes.”

With that, Elysa vanished. Only the faintest crunch of gravel told them that she was moving along the ledge, heading to the other side of the mine to find a suitable place for sniping two of the leaders. Once they couldn’t hear her footsteps anymore, Crucian gave Aerys similar instructions, assigning him the tent that lay out by itself. Like Elysa, Aerys also disappeared before going off to find a good vantage point for attacking.

“I will let you know when we’re all ready,” Crucian told Milotia, “We’ll be following your lead.”

“Alright,” Milotia said, and she and Vyndir crept along the ledge, using the rocks to hide from the scouting Mamaki Kobolds. It was a lengthy trek, especially when they had to crouch the entire time, and her thighs had begun to burn by the time the two of them finally settled above the odium reserves.

Vyndir glanced around at the rocky slope behind them. “We can leave through there after you’ve set the odium on fire.” He pointed at a rugged path that snaked up the small hill and disappeared over the rise. It looked easy to climb, even if they were in a hurry, and would provide a quick escape for them after the chaos starts.

They hid behind the rocks, and Milotia sought out Crucian. The gunslinger’s red leather coat shone under the sun as he pressed at his temple with the fingers of his right hand. She watched as he stared off at the walls of the other side of the mine, no doubt looking for Aerys and Elysa. A few moments later, he met her gaze, raised his hand, and gave her a short wave.

She lifted her bow and held it in front of her, placing one hand behind the tip. Closing her eyes, she focused on channeling aether into the instrument. A single note sounded through the dry, desert air, ringing clear but quiet. Then, it began to pulse with a steady rhythm, growing louder and louder with every beat, although still not loud enough for the Kaidan and Kobolds below to hear. When the pitch reached a certain intensity, the bow tip began to glow with an orange light. Milotia raised the bow above her head and flicked it towards the odium pile.

An orb of orange energy escaped from the weapon and flew at the mound of green in a straight projectile. The explosion that followed the collision sent pieces of odium and rocks sailing through the air, a few fragments landing in her hair despite her taking cover behind a boulder. She squinted through the cloud of dust. A flicker of orange danced in the midst of the smoke and as she watched, the spark grew until it became a roaring flame that engulfed the green.

The Kaidan and Kobolds broke into urgent and confused chatter, swarming around the conflagration like a colony of ants. In a place as dry as this, they would have much trouble extinguishing the flames. The odium was done for.

She heard a sharp hiss and saw the arrow flying towards her before Vyndir gave her left shoulder a shove. The arrow shot past them and hit the outcrop, bouncing off the stone and landing with a clatter. More followed, and as she and Vyndir ducked for cover, Milotia could see that several of the Kobolds were pointing their crossbows up in their direction. Even a few of the Kaidan were raising their lances over their shoulders, ready to hurl them at the two Daevas.

“Let’s get out of here,” Vyndir suggested as he shuffled his way to the escape route. Milotia followed, and the cleric took a step back to allow her to leave first. “I have a shield, so you go first and I’ll watch your back.”

“Thanks.” She slipped past him, flinching at the metallic clang of something hitting Vyndir’s buckler.

The pair scrambled up the sloping path, stepping over loose pebbles and holding onto the walls for support. A couple more arrows collided with Vyndir’s shield, and Milotia swore she heard something heavier collide with the ledge they were kneeling on seconds ago, but they managed to reach the end of the path without any injury. Just as they clambered out into the Outpost Ruins, two gunshots echoed in the mine, followed by a roar of renewed outrage from the Kaidan. Milotia paused in the middle of the trail.

“Will Mister Crucian be able to escape?”

“He will be fine,” Vyndir reassured, giving her a slight nudge to get her moving again. “I am sure that Miss Elysa will cover for him if he needs it.”

And Aerys should have no trouble escaping, Milotia thought as she picked up her pace and jogged across the desert with Vyndir following close behind her. She intended to head straight to Novan’s Crossing and wait for the rest of their group, but Vyndir stopped her and pointed further into the ruins.

“We should take a more roundabout way, in case the Kaidan are looking for us,” he said.

The two of them dodged amongst collapsed pillars and crumbling walls, keeping a lookout for any hulking Krall or stout Kobolds. While they didn’t see any of those, they managed to catch sight of Crucian sprinting out of the mine, a group of five or six Kaidan on his heels. One of the beasts held a spear, which it raised and hurled at the fleeing gunslinger. Crucian leaped and spun in midair, evading the attack by inches. The sound of a pistol echoed across the wastelands, and a pursuing Kaidan dropped to the ground and didn’t get back up.

Vyndir hurried over to his deputy, and Milotia followed him. They reached Crucian just as the Daeva in red shot another Kaidan in the mouth and turned to face them. He scanned them over as they approached and nodded in approval. “Good to see you two safe.”

“The assassins?” Vyndir asked.

“They’ll be here soon,” Crucian replied.

As soon as he finished speaking, two shadows flitted out of the air, solidifying into human bodies as they flew at the pair of Kaidan that were lagging in the back. Blades glinted, steel pierced flesh, and the two creatures fell, each with a dagger sticking out of its head.

Elysa strode up to one of them and yanked the knife out, wiping the blood off using the dead Kaidan’s tattered clothes. She glanced at Aerys. “Good form,” she commented.

Aerys retrieved his weapon from the other corpse. “Thank you.”

The last Kaidan swiveled its head around, glaring and snarling at the five Daevas surrounding it as it brandished its knife. Milotia raised her bow, ready to deliver a magical blow and kill it. However, Crucian raised his hand, and she stopped.

“Don’t,” the gunslinger said, “We should capture this one and take it back to the fortress, where General Telemachus can interrogate it about where the odium came from.”

As though it understood Crucian’s words, the Kaidan growled and bared its teeth at the gunslinger. However, no amount of struggling would free it from the combined efforts of Vyndir and Milotia to restrain it. Once the beast was tied up and secure, Crucian opened a transportation scroll and the group teleported back to Eltnen Fortress with the Kaidan in tow.

The soul healer stared in shock as the five of them suddenly appeared at the obelisk, lugging a burly beast behind them. General Telemachus was also surprised, but he recovered in the blink of an eye and ordered his centurions to prepare a space to imprison the Kaidan until they could interrogate it for the source of the odium.

“I hadn’t expected you to bring back one of them,” the general said once the Kaidan had been locked away, “But this makes things much easier for us. I thank you for going the extra mile.”

“It was nothing,” Crucian reassured, “We are happy to help in any way we can.”

“Still, your judgment deserves merit.” General Telemachus waved over a centurion. “I’ve ordered for some extra kinah to be distributed to each of you. I hope you find this arrangement satisfactory.”

It was more than satisfactory for Milotia as she accepted the pouch, noting its weight as she carried it in her hand. The five of them murmured their gratitude to the general and bowed, who inclined his head in response.

“Crucian and Vyndir, you two are returning to Sanctum, correct?” General Telemachus asked.

“Yes, sir,” they replied.

“In that case, I wish you safe travels,” the general said, “And please deliver my thanks to your brigade general for the Crimson legion’s assistance in this matter.”

The two from the Crimson legion promised to relay the message and they bid farewell to the rest of the group. Before they left, Crucian turned to Milotia and Aerys with a warm smile. “It was nice working with you two. May our paths will cross again in the future.”

“May our paths cross again,” Milotia and Aerys echoed, watching as Crucian and Vyndir left. Once they were gone, General Telemachus spoke up again, this time to Elysa.

“You mentioned you were staying in Eltnen, I believe.”

“Yes,” Elysa confirmed.

“In that case, Eltnen will be glad to have you. We are a little shorthanded, so any and all assistance is welcome and appreciated.”

“Understood.” Elysa nodded once, giving her agreement to help against the region’s troubles.

The general dismissed them then, and the trio bowed one last time before leaving the room. Once outside, Elysa turned to Milotia and Aerys. “See you around,” she said and walked away, heading for the flight transporter before either of them could say anything back.

As the two young Daevas asked the cook for more cups of cold water, Milotia hoped that there would be an opportunity to work with Crucian, Vyndir, and Elysa again. Crucian was a good leader, Vyndir was easy to get along with, and even Elysa was not as scary as she first appeared. Pride swelled in her chest as she thought back to their successful assignment, and she took a sip of water to hide her smile.


End file.
